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Lies and DEI in the Federal Government
Hiring disabled people did not cause a plane crash.
On the evening of January 29, 2025, an American Airlines commuter plane collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter, killing a total of 67 people. After many years with no domestic crashes, this accident has shaken a nation of people who essentially consider these events a thing of the past.
President Donald Trump commented to the press in the crash's immediate aftermath. Rather than wait for an investigation into the cause of the crash, Trump blamed supposed Biden-era diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) air traffic controller hiring initiatives. Specifically, Trump railed against a policy implemented by the FAA under Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg that actively recruited “workers who suffer ‘severe intellectual’ disabilities, psychiatric problems and other mental and physical conditions.”
Blaming hypothetical disabled employees for a plane crash whose cause has yet to be identified is an irresponsible and harmful way for our nation’s leader to respond. Moreover, like much of Trump’s DEI fear-mongering, this is not true.
While the hiring policy cited by Trump exists, it applies to the whole FAA, not just air traffic controllers. Additionally, this policy listed a wide range of targeted disabilities for…
